Suzi Ring

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Travers Smith has won Vodafone as a first-time client, with the City firm securing a mandate to carry out pensions work for the telecoms giant. The firm was appointed in December last year, despite missing out on a spot on Vodafone's new UK panel announced in September 2011. The relationship will be managed by Travers pensions partner Peter Esam, with the firm hoping to expand the relationship into off panel mandates in other practices where possible.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

PRIME, the groundbreaking social mobility initiative launched by 23 law firms last year, has more than doubled the number of participating firms, with 50 now committed to the programme. Simmons & Simmons, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown and Taylor Wessing are among the additional firms to have signed up to the initiative since its launch last September, as interest in the scheme continues to grow.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Suzanna Ring sizes up Davis Polk & Wardwell's prospects as the US leader makes its English law debut in the City...

By Suzi Ring

7 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Clyde & Co has grown its Middle East practice with the hire of Trowers & Hamlins' former Abu Dhabi head Adrian Creed. Creed, a project finance lawyer, joined the firm last month, taking the total number of partners in Clydes' local office to five.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Travers Smith litigation partner Toby Robinson is set to take up a secondment at the firm's client RBS as interim head of litigation, regulatory and investigations. Robinson will join RBS for a six-month period from February this year while the current postholder is on leave.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 11, 2012 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is bulking up its banking and capital markets practice with the hire of Clifford Chance (CC) partner Prashanth Satyadeva. Satyadeva is set to join BLP's structured finance team, which sits within the wider banking group, in the coming weeks.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 11, 2012 | International Edition

Matrix Chambers' Thomas Linden QC has taken on the lead role for Commerzbank on its high-profile €50m (£41m) bankers' bonuses case, following Jonathan Sumption QC's elevation to the Supreme Court. The closely-watched case is set to go to trial later this month, with Sumption QC no longer involved due to his appointment as a Supreme Court justice.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 10, 2012 | International Edition

Jonathan Sumption QC will be formally sworn in as a Supreme Court justice tomorrow (11 January) following the announcement of his appointment in May last year. Sumption will be added to the most senior judicial rank in the UK after a ceremony at Parliament Square court building at 10am on Wednesday morning.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 10, 2012 | International Edition

Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has completed three multimillion-dollar listings on the Hong Kong stock exchange in recent weeks, as Asian capital markets continues to grow in importance for international law firms. The US firm advised the underwriters - China International Capital Corporation, UBS and RBS - on the $300m (£194m) initial public offering (IPO) of Chinese power company Guodian Technology and Environment Group, which listed on 30 December.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

January 10, 2012 | International Edition

LG repaid almost half of its £9.6m worth of loans during 2010-11 due to "continued positive cashflow", according to the firm's latest limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts. The Companies House filings show that LG paid back £4.1m of its loans and overdrafts, which had been largely used to fund the property refurbishment carried out when the firm moved to its London Bridge offices in 2007, reducing its debt to £5.5m.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read